Paul Mani

7 goals and 6 assists in 44 matches from a guy who thinks he’s SOOOOO much better than Rovers and is expecting a move to a ‘lower Premier League club’? Please. Mate, I saw your assertion about Dolan’s “output” and tried not to emphasise it because quite frankly, it’s embarrassing for you and TD. Dolan is quite simply an Instagam’able Ryan Hedges. A mid championship, average player, and at least Hedges knows it. I’ve seen very little of Kargbo but I’d bet everything I have that if he was gifted 200+ games in the championship, playing for Rovers his “output” would be considerably higher than Dolan’s. He’s obviously a great lad and I’ve never wanted to be proven wrong more. But my bet is that he’ll eventually sign for Bristol City (yawn) or the like, job about for a year or two and then disappear into League 1. The end.

Honestly, I don’t wanna bore everyone on Dolan. But in 40yrs I haven’t seen a player flatter to deceive more than him. Takes 5 touches, when he needs just 1. Crosses when he should pass, dribbles when he should cross and is soooo slow. People focus on his supposed output with rose tinted glasses because he does work incredibly hard. For me, he’s a mid championship squad filler at best, if he accepted that then I’d be happy to have him come on to see games out and chip in with 5 goals a season. The only reason he hasn’t signed for anyone yet, is because everything that has been put across his agents desk is on less or the same money and involves a side ways move. Dolan is Nyambe mk2. And just like when Brittain turned up post Nyambe, a decent winger will come to the club this summer and suddenly folk will be like “Ahh so THAT is what a forward should do!?”

True, just REALLY badly! 🙈🤣

If they loan Leonard out then it means they’re probably looking for another. I also think there’s a chance that Big Mak is less suited to VI’s way of playing too… But, I would prefer to spend the money elsewhere. I think Yuki and Big Mak are both capable of getting double figures this season and 20-30 goals between them is solid. We only play one striker so we could back those two up with Leonard who needs an injury free, breakthrough season.

Yeah - I don’t see Bamford as a VI type signing at all. Much more likely to join Eustace at Derby.

I think we need the following, in this order assuming no sales of key players: 1) RW - Dolan replacement / better than Hedges (easy to find as both are average) 2) CB - We need one more. Carter is made of glass and Wharton early back from a long injury. 3) CM - Trav, Sonny, Tavares, +1 Fwiw - I don’t think we need another striker. I would be really inclined to put my trust in Yuki and big Mak who I think will get better after a year in the league and a full preseason.

Exactly….its been reported by multiple outlets that the fees are: Tavares - 2m DeNeve - 750k Alebiosu - 500k Baradji - 1.5m Us “Naaaaaahhhh, utter bollocks!” 🤣🤣

Over the past few seasons they’ve sold loads and invested little… I can’t see that they’ve bought these in anticipation of sales. They usually just set a budget and basically make do, whatever happens.

Maybe - though they could be direct replacements for JRC and Buckley?

Agreed. But the club haven’t reported the fees. The club rarely reports anything. News outlets have. Listen, I’m not saying we’ve spent £4.75m, but we can’t have it both ways just to fit our narrative / hatred of Venkys. It would seem that the club are backing Ismael based on the widely reported fees they’re spending on these players!? Right?

Sounds like Charlton have paid £1m for JRC….

What makes me laugh is when we sign anyone in a free or a minimal fee, everyone’s like “tight bastards” and the reported fee is taken as gospel… But in this window including the new two, it’s now reported we’ve already spent roughly £4.75m in fees and everyone is like “bollocks” 🤣🤣🤣

Agreed - O’riordan hasn’t been fancied by any manger. Weird one. Needs to go. Litherland was the one I was thinking about. He looked decent last season. Maybe having lost out on Batth they decided to go for Kapaudi and promote Litherland and Acheson? Also was thinking they might see Kristi Montgomery as CM cover as he’s played there for the youth team / 21’s right?

Yeah, I’m not sure Elliot would 100% know that. What is fact is that we offered Batth a contract, AND Rudy came out saying we wanted a cb at around the same time. Which tells me they initially wanted two… But who knows? Tbh we probably do need two regardless of formation when you consider the injury record of Carter and bearing in mind Wharton hasn’t played for the best part of 12 months. Are any of the Academy CB’s ready to step up? I’ve got brain fog.

Agreed. Though you could argue that those subsequent managerial roles were comparable failures to the job he did at Barnsley. Maybe he’s going back to his initial idea? It’s still up in the air and we could stick with 4231 it’s just something about these wide, high energy wide players which look much more like wing backs than full backs. Interesting to see how many cb’s we sign…

We wanted one when we thought Batth was staying. I’m not sure if we will sign two cb’s but based on the profile of high energy, forward thinking fullbacks we’re signing, they look more like wing backs. Which leads us to think we might end up with three CB’s. Barnsley were 343 in that brilliant season they had with VI weren’t they?

I’d say more… Toth Carter. Hyam New CB Brittain Trav. Sonny. Ribeiro Kargbo. Cantwell Ohashi Cover: GK - Pears CB - Wharton, Pickering, New, Wingback - Alebiosu, Duru, De Neve, Hedges CM - Tavares / Loan? Or New Forwards - Gueye, Tyjon, Leonard, new #10, new wide forward. Plus the academy options.

Whats interesting is the profile of players being sought. With the new rb, it’s clear that the manager wants pace and energy from those wide defensive positions. If we weren’t so light at cb I would be convinced this was a shift to a 343. Might still be the case if they convert Pickering or Ribeiro into a Lcb? Still time to add more cb’s in this window though. Add in Tavares and the public chase of Steve Kapaudi and it’s a clear shift in style. From the ‘All out attack’ of JDT, to ‘cautious’ John Eustace, Big Val is going all ‘Heavy Metal’ on us, right? Focus on physical attributes - power, pace, high energy! Whether any of these players are much kop remains to be seen but it’s an interesting change nevertheless. Based on where we are right now, were we not to sell any of our key players, I’d say we need a cb, (or two), another creative #10 and another quick wide forward. Fwiw - I have a feeling that Ohashi and Gueye can have brilliant campaigns this season after a year bedding in. Backed up by a fully fit Leonard and Tyjon. Buckley and JRC need to move on, for everyone’s sake. Both talented but haven’t lived up to it.

Called it. Watch…

No! I actually don’t think we’re that good. Which tells you how crap I think Dolan is. But I still genuinely believe we won’t struggle to find a player who positively effects the game as much as he….

As for Dolan, I’d be shocked to my core if we can’t find a much better player for £1m.

Oh my word. Nyambe wasn’t even the best right back at his house and he lived with his mum and sister! Dearie me…🤣🤣 Joking aside, are you saying that up until last season, the guy who could barely get a game at Wigan or Derby was better than Brittain, at anything!? If so, I’m lost for words…

That’s funny, I took my 9yr old daughter last season for the first time. She has never been interested but, like lots these days started following Haaland, watching City and so I got her down to Ewood… she was like “Dad, is he a YouTuber? Like a guest who’s playing for charity?” 🤣🤣

Bang on the money. Easily the most frustrating player I’ve watched. Masks his constant dallying on the ball by running around a lot. His 5 touches and flicks constantly break our attacks down on the transition in build up. Hes been helped by the fact he hasn’t had anyone tearing up trees around him. So he looks decent sometimes in and amongst Hedges and the like. My prediction on Dolan is that his career will take a similar path to Nyambe. I remember folk thinking he was a ‘good un’ and the world was ending when he left, then Brittain turned up and they were like, “Ahhh, so THAT’s what a fullback is!”

Eh? Where has he insinuated that Forshaw will be a ‘regular starter’? Has been quoted as saying he’s great “On and Off the pitch and knows his role” - which is basically code for ‘he’s a good lad’ aka McFadz mkII.